Richmond great Matthew Richardson highlights six key points from the Tigers’ Round 12 loss to North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium last Sunday night.

1. Anthony Miles had a real impact on debut in the Yellow and Black.
Although it took Miles until halfway through the season to get his senior chance at Richmond, after joining the Club from GWS at the end of last year, he certainly showed he was up to the task with an impressive first-up display.  The tenacious midfielder had been knocking down the door to senior selection through his strong efforts in winning the contested ball at VFL level, and he carried that into Richmond’s AFL side last Sunday.  Miles finished with 19 disposals, including a team-high 11 contested possessions and a team-high eight clearances, along with six tackles, which underlined his admirable work ethic.  He also won several free kicks due to his willingness to put his head over the ball and cop physical punishment.  By season’s end, Anthony Miles could well prove to be a major positive out of 2014 for the Tigers.

2. Matt Dea is making solid progress at the game’s highest level.
I thought Matty Dea took another key step in his overall football development on Sunday night.  The determined, young defender didn’t win a heap of ball (11 disposals all-up), but he used it effectively, pushed forward to kick a goal, and applied plenty of pressure to opponents throughout the match, with a couple of chasing efforts particularly noteworthy.  We shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that this was just the 27^th game of what has been a fairly injury-interrupted league career for the 22-year-old.  I can certainly see him cementing a spot in the Tigers’ line-up from now and becoming a valuable team member.

3. Dustin Martin was the catalyst for Richmond’s excellent first half.
That first-half performance by Martin was as good as anything he’s produced in the AFL since debuting in 2010, and right up there with what we’ve seen from any player in the competition over the course of half a game.  With 19 disposals and four goals, he was clearly best-on-ground to that stage.  Sure, he tapered off a bit in the second half, but a lack of opportunities, due to North’s dominance, had a fair bit to do with that.  In what’s been a mighty tough season so far for the Tigers, Dustin Martin has been a standout.  If he can maintain his strong form during the second half of the season, an inaugural Jack Dyer Medal surely beckons.

4. Nick Vlastuin didn’t miss a beat in his return from injury.
Vlastuin again showed why he’s so highly regarded within Tigerland’s four walls with his customary courageous, polished performance on Sunday in his first game back from a two-week absence because of a broken finger, which was initially expected to sideline him for a little longer.  I was especially pleased to see Vlastuin moved into the midfield for the match and exert the influence that he did. The talented 20-year-old had 20 disposals, including seven contested possessions, four inside-50s, and took six marks.  I’m convinced that Vlastuin has all the tools required to become a top-class midfielder in the Tigers’ team for many years.

5. Ivan Maric showed his leadership qualities.
While North ruckman Todd Goldstein played a leading role in the Roos’ come-from-behind victory, I still thought Maric was pretty good for Richmond, particularly considering it was only his second game for the season.  He won his fair share of hit-outs (24 in total) and was really competitive around the ground, picking up 17 disposals, taking six marks, and doing a lot of bullocking work for the team.  The morning after the Tigers’ disappointing loss, Maric fronted the media, and he answered their probing questions in a very thoughtful, concise, honest manner which, to me, demonstrated his capabilities as a good leader around the place.

6. The Tigers must turn that first-half form against the Roos into something meaningful for the rest of the season.
While I was as disappointed as any Richmond supporter with the Tigers’ second-half capitulation on Sunday, the brand of football they played in the first half undoubtedly was the best they’ve produced this season, which is a definite positive.  That’s the benchmark for them now.  I know it’s stating the bleeding obvious, but the key is putting it all together for a full four quarters, and not allowing the opposition to seize total control, as North did so easily after half-time on Sunday.